WA Rep. Adam Smith vows Pentagon oversight; supports Hegseth impeachment

Nov. 4, 2026 at 6:34 pm

A day after Democrats secured control of Congress, Rep. Adam Smith, of Bellevue, vowed to conduct aggressive oversight of the Department of Defense and backed efforts to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth — a glimpse into the party’s approach next year after its Tuesday sweep of the House and Senate.

Smith is now poised to chair the House Armed Services Committee — a role he told The Seattle Times on Wednesday will prioritize “oversight of Pete Hegseth’s Pentagon,” placing the longtime Washington congressmember at the center of investigations into the Trump administration’s handling of the Iran war. The war has been vastly unpopular with voters nationwide, a dissatisfaction that bolstered Democrats’ blue wave and compelled Vice President JD Vance to break from the president after the GOP’s election losses this week.

“Going after the corruption, and going after the lack of transparency,” Smith said of his plans to probe the Pentagon. “We haven’t gotten a report back from the Minab girls’ school strike . How come we haven’t gotten clarity on the strike in Kuwait that killed six service members ? How come they haven’t told us what the true cost is that’s been absorbed by all of our bases that have been destroyed in the Middle East ? There’s a host of issues we could dive into.”

Oversight will begin with demanding Hegseth and Deputy Secretary of Defense Steve Feinberg appear before the House Armed Services Committee for questioning. “And then we’d have to assemble a list beyond that,” Smith said.

Meanwhile, Smith said he supports efforts by Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Kentucky, to impeach Hegseth — a measure Massie may force to a House vote next week after lawmakers return from the midterm elections. Smith’s support of Massie’s impeachment efforts — which span eight charges — marks a departure for him. Smith told TIME in May that impeachments have inadvertently empowered the impeached, and questioned whether it is a smart strategy.

Hegseth has since faced mounting scrutiny over the war with Iran and the removal of senior military officers. Still, impeaching Hegseth would require a majority in the House, and removing him would require a two-thirds vote in the Senate.

Smith on Wednesday said President Donald Trump’s administration — which he described as overwhelmingly corrupt — requires Democrats to pursue vigorous oversight. It’s an approach that many Democratic lawmakers are signaling for the coming Congress now that they are armed with a majority in both chambers. Incoming House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. Robert Garcia, of California, warned the Trump administration to “lawyer up” hours after Democrats’ sweep became apparent.

“Part of the reason we can’t get after the issues affecting fairness and affordability, is because of how corrupt Trump is and the people around him,” Smith said. “Reining in that corruption is one way to make sure that money is redirected to the American people and their needs.”

Anumita Kaur : akaur@seattletimes.com . Anumita Kaur is the Washington, D.C., correspondent for The Seattle Times, where she covers federal government and national politics with a Pacific Northwest focus.

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